Chapter 25
Overview At school, Koyuki is listening to the Principal's summer vacation speech. After the speech, a crowd surrounds him asking questions about BECK and their upcoming performance at Greatful Sound. The attention Koyuki is getting attracts a group of bullies who drag him out to the schoolyard. They belittle his successes and threaten him, stating that Chiba isn't here to save him today. They are stopped by a counselor that Hiromi notified of the situation. Koyuki buys Hiromi a strawberry milk to thank her for stopping the bullies. He asks her not to tell the rest of the band about the incident. At the studio, the band begins rehearsing the songs in the exact way they're going to perform them. Koyuki realizes that the band is also improving the song that he wrote. Ryusuke tells Koyuki that he has to write lyrics for his song. Koyuki reviews the schedule and panics when he sees how little time he has to compose lyrics. He is unable to make any progress, just getting stressed out with no inspiration. As he sits on a park bench with his hands over his eyes, Mr. Saitou rushes over, excited about an overnight vacation he is taking with Momoko. Koyuki tells him about his trouble with song writing. Mr. Saitou advises that sometimes songwriters get inspiration from their dreams. Later that night while Koyuki is trying to sleep, Mr. Saitou calls him asking for advice on circumcision. Koyuki hangs up on him. Three days later, Koyuki submits his lyrics to Ryusuke who throws them back in his face. Ryusuke tells him that if he can't do better that he should quit the band. Later in the day, Mr. Saitou catches up to Koyuki with a tape. He has written some lyrics and wants Koyuki to listen to them. Koyuki listens to them and is impressed by how personal they are. Koyuki writes his own lyrics and records them. He leaves the tape in a bag at Ryusuke's. It isn't until after Ryusuke has discovered the bag that Koyuki realizes that he actually gave him Mr. Saitou's tape instead. Koyuki races on his bicycle over to Ryusuke's to intercept Ryusuke listening to the tape. When he arrives though, Ryusuke is playing the song and singing Mr. Saitou's lyrics to the rest of the band. The whole band is impressed by the lyrics and are improving. They are only confused by the fact that Mr. Saitou is singing them. Later on, the band spends some time with another band called Hitode that plays at the Marquee. Koyuki is thinking about how strange Ryusuke has been acting as the date for Greatful Sound gets closer. One of Hitode's members tells them that BECK has the potential to be the worst band at Greatful Sound. Ryusuke dumps hot tofu over the head of the band member making the comments. The two bands launch into a fight and get kicked out of the restaurant. As the day of Greatful Sound approaches, Koyuki can't sleep. He goes out at night to walk or bicycle and doesn't do his homework. The morning they are leaving for Greatful Sound, the rest of BECK is waiting for Koyuki, who is running late. Ryusuke's grandmother gives him a good luck charm. Ryusuke doesn't want it, so Chiba gives it to Koyuki telling him that it's from Maho. When Koyuki opens it up, he discovers a hair from Ryusuke's grandmother. On the drive, most of the band sleeps while Taira drives. They arrive at Greatful Sound and Koyuki is stunned by the elaborate main stage. Taira explains that there will be simultaneous performances at three different stages and that Belle Ame will be performing at the main stage. They walk through the grounds, stopping to take a look at the second stage. They have to hike a long way through the woods before they finally arrive at the third stage. It is the smallest stage and the attendees will have to walk the furthest to reach it. The band members all get up on the stage and check out the set-up and the view. Koyuki shares some rice balls that his mother made for them with the rest of the band. Taira offers one to Ryusuke, but the sight of food makes him vomit. Ryusuke asks that Saku and Koyuki leave him with Chiba and Taira to have a meeting. Ryusuke explains to Chiba and Taira the terms that Leon Sykes gave for BECK to play at Greatful Sound. Leon Sykes will own the rights to their next 5 albums, tour booking, and promotions free of charge. Chiba is excited by this news, but Taira warns that Leon probably won't really invest in them and will give them an impossible schedule. Taira asks if Ryusuke accepted those conditions and Ryusuke replies that he had a condition of his own. The scene cuts to a helicopter when Ryusuke met with Leon Sykes. Ryusuke challenges Leon Sykes to let his grudge against him go if BECK can draw the largest audience of the three stages. Leon Sykes agrees to the term. Back in the present, Taira and Chiba are shocked. They both think that Ryusuke should not have made the deal, but Ryusuke feels confident about their chances since Koyuki's newest song. Meanwhile, Koyuki loses a game of rock, paper, scissors with Saku and makes a run for food. On his way, he is stopped by Yoshito who asks him if the band is camping. After Koyuki confirms this, Yoshito invites him to his hotel room.Category:Chapters